My wife and I were out shopping the other day and as she usually does, Valerie allowed me the privilege of paying for our purchase. As I forked over the money, I noticed that the cashier took one of those funny little pens and made a mark across my money. Now, I’ve got to tell you that it made me just a little upset that she would suspect me of passing a phony bill. I guess she saw the look of disappointment on my face, because she quickly explained to me that it was nothing personal but they were having a rash of counterfeit bills at the store and the only way to tell was to use that special pen!
You know it got me to thinking; too bad they don’t have that special pen for people. The truth is, counterfeits are hard to detect - counterfeit money – or even counterfeit Christians! Those people who look just like someone who really belongs to Jesus. Oh, they may sound like a Christian, act like a Christian, pretty much believe like one too, but something's missing. Jesus is missing! Just like the difference between real money that’s worth something and counterfeit money that’s worthless, there's a difference between a genuine Christian and a counterfeit one. It’s an important difference that will determine whether one spends an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell.
That's the point behind one of the most powerful and direct statements that Jesus ever made. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me and that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart for me, ye that work iniquity.”
Earlier, Jesus had explained that false prophets in sheep’s clothing were on the loose then, just as Counterfeit Christians are today! My friends, we all need to realize that Judgment Day is coming and those who are not genuine Christians will go to an awful eternity, and those who are really His will go to be with Him in heaven forever. Now that’s a sobering thought! And that's why it's important that you hold your Christianity up to the light of God’s word before that day when it's too late. The light may reveal that, in the midst of all your religious activity, you've accepted something short of genuine New Testament Christianity!
Today, you may have Jesus in your head, but not in your heart. If you don't know that you actually belong to Christ right now, then you probably don't! But the good news is that you can change all that right now. I urge you; don’t settle for a counterfeit Christianity when you can have the genuine thing by obedience to the gospel of Christ today!
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